I like the system we have in the UK. You aren't allowed to sell feathers from native birds of prey unless they come with a certificate to show that they're from a captive bird but there are no restrictions on keeping them or giving them away for free. Which makes life really easy from an imping standpoint.
Ironic that those "green" windmills kill thousands of hawks and eagles every year and I get dinged for one red tail hawk feather molted on my property.
It’s a frustrating thing. I’ve seen many times game wardens apply the law incorrectly or in some cases make up laws. I understand we are held responsible for following the laws but how can we when every game warden wants to interpret it differently. wardens should be held responsible for their mistakes. It’s all more reason we should be extra careful but it sure is stressful feeling unsafe that a warden can bust in any minute and try to cite you. Even if you are doing everything right is extremely nerve racking.
In mainland China its illegal to keep any raptor feather no matter the origin of the bird, but the law is not enforced so a lot of people have them (through molt or poached wild bird), and rehabers always keeps the molt for imping.
Another good topic you wish to discuss is the legalities of photographing/filming Falconry. I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and it seems to be a grey area at best. It also brings to question the conflict of the law with the First Amendment. Thanks as always Ben and keep up the great work!
Personally I think it should be perfectly legal to make money off of falconry video content so long as that bird is also being used for falconry and the content is educational. This means it’s required to have a healthy bird that regularly hunts. Falconers can write books about their falconry experience and include photos of their birds and sell those books. A book is content for someone to consume. I even remember when falconers would make their own documentaries or hunting videos and sell dvds. Both books and dvds have been acceptable to sell so why is an internet video any different?
I'm so glad you made this video. Georgia has some STRONG restrictions on feathers. I thought it was weird to get so bent out of shape over feathers. The Bald and Golden eagles I understood, but threatening imprisonment for keeping a single feather from even a deceased falconry bird seems a bit cruel to me. I had a few ideas in my mind like research and DNA archiving to protect and maybe even resurrect a species. The natives argument seems so obvious now that I know. Thank you for clearing up one of the biggest questions I had about my states laws. The Verreaux's Eagle-Owl (pink eyelids, you can't miss it) is my dream bird to hunt with. Now I need to see if it's on the list. Just checked the list. I think I'm in the clear. The Martial Eagle is my favorite if owls don't work out or I find I have the capacity for more birds in the future. I don't see the Martial Eagle on the list either. Things aren't looking too bad now. Though I imagine my first bird will probably be a Great Horned or Barn Owl.
Ty Ben, very interesting and almost made the mistake of searching out BOP feathers til one day a "light bulb" went off in my head, and said I better ck into this....thus, I wear turkey feathers in my cowboy hats😉 cheers!
My sister saw a raven that got hit by a car and stunned senseless. She carried it around for about half an hour until it recovered enough to fly away. Now I have to wonder if that was illegal and how much trouble she could have gotten into. She was only fourteen. Can you even legally move an injured raptor or bird out of a road?
Depends on the officer. If an officer wanted to, the could bust you for “illegal possession” but most officers would tell a person the contact info for a wildlife rehabber and tell the person to take that bird to the rehabber, but then they have technically instructed the person to break the law, because that is “illegal possession and transportation”
Ben: Off-topic, but I though that you might find this VERY interesting: Harris's Hawks have superb colour vision! Science News from research organizations Color vision makes birds of prey successful hunters Date: August 29, 2018 Source: Lund University Summary: In many cases it is the color of the prey that helps predatory birds to detect, pursue and capture them. In a new study, biologists show that the Harris's hawk has the best color vision of all animals investigated to date -- and in certain situations, even better than humans. Pretty interesting, those Harris's are very well-evolved fore hunting!
Technically because it’s a protected species, I had one too, and I find it so stupid that there’s a law against simply having feathers…sure I understand it’s so animals like that aren’t hunted to extinction however kids with mental disorders that causes them to take an interest towards these sorts of things and helps with their mental wellbeing is illegal. I would understand if it’s just illegal to sell or trade them but it’s not. Seeing a feather on the ground and taking it home is a crime but grinding up baby chicks because they are male is legal.
There's a Hawk's nest in this huge tree in a field next to me.. I can't help myself but gather up the feathers. I should just rob a bank if I got to go jail for a feather.
I really understand the logic and ethics behind the law, but in longer run, it's just plain stupid and ridiculous. Most birds naturally moult their feathers. Why should picking a damn feather from a damn ground that a living, well fed and healthy bird, shed like a week ago without being harmed in any way? Like... I know that prooving wether or not the feather was obtained from a dead protected bird, or just a moulted drop is hard, but why should it prevent people from collecting feathers that have allready been shed? I mean, there's zero logic in it....
@Somerandomperson-qc7nz why it should be illegal to sell ethically obtained, naturally molted feathers? LOL Laws are so backwards. It's not like You kill the bird to get the feathers. It should not only be legalised, but NORMALISED. If ppl will get legal feathers from rare and endangered species that were obtained without hurting the animal, they wouldn't resort to hunting them, therefore their population would go up. Such things should be legal to buy and sell and do everything, because if it will continue to be illegal, it only supports the black market and endangers the environment... Human laws are dumb...
So I was swimming on a beach and and everyone’s like hey there’s a bald eagle and maybe ten mins later there’s a feather floating so I pick it up and I bring to everyone to see and I take it to my grandma and she frames it and side note at the time I was oblivious to the law same with grandma so is this.
Illegal? Yes- it’s dumb especially since it’s reserving it in a humane and natural way. Maybe if America put licenses on owning a GUN then we wouldn’t have as much illegal poaching.
Thank you very much friend, how kind, indeed the automatic translation is already available, I am from El Salvador, and I send you a big greeting for you
Insane!! My 8yr old daughter collects feathers she finds on walks on the fens and woods and tries to figure out what bird they came from , and this is illegal!!! Not an issue in uk
This just seems silly to me. I understand wanting to protect a bird, but punishing someone who finds a feather on the ground is asinine, or even someone who keeps the feathers of a bird they are legally permitted to have/care for. Just make the selling of feathers illegal and of course all the killing that you want to avoid, possession should not be restricted.
Indeed, *selling*, or possession for sale, that would make sense, like someone having two eagle feathers from a moulting, vs. someone having a full set of tal feathers, or primaries, kind of like "possession for trafficking'...
We found mounted eagle feathers on the Prairie, as youngsters, and, of course, kept them, all unknowing that we could be jailed (?) or fined... seems kind of dumb to "protect" something akin to fingernail clippings, no? Seems a rather extreme length to go to. But, hey, it's a law, and we don't always get the best laws.
I like the system we have in the UK. You aren't allowed to sell feathers from native birds of prey unless they come with a certificate to show that they're from a captive bird but there are no restrictions on keeping them or giving them away for free. Which makes life really easy from an imping standpoint.
Ironic that those "green" windmills kill thousands of hawks and eagles every year and I get dinged for one red tail hawk feather molted on my property.
Kind of insane, isn’t it?
It’s a frustrating thing. I’ve seen many times game wardens apply the law incorrectly or in some cases make up laws. I understand we are held responsible for following the laws but how can we when every game warden wants to interpret it differently. wardens should be held responsible for their mistakes.
It’s all more reason we should be extra careful but it sure is stressful feeling unsafe that a warden can bust in any minute and try to cite you. Even if you are doing everything right is extremely nerve racking.
In mainland China its illegal to keep any raptor feather no matter the origin of the bird, but the law is not enforced so a lot of people have them (through molt or poached wild bird), and rehabers always keeps the molt for imping.
Another good topic you wish to discuss is the legalities of photographing/filming Falconry. I have done quite a bit of research on the subject and it seems to be a grey area at best. It also brings to question the conflict of the law with the First Amendment. Thanks as always Ben and keep up the great work!
Personally I think it should be perfectly legal to make money off of falconry video content so long as that bird is also being used for falconry and the content is educational. This means it’s required to have a healthy bird that regularly hunts.
Falconers can write books about their falconry experience and include photos of their birds and sell those books. A book is content for someone to consume. I even remember when falconers would make their own documentaries or hunting videos and sell dvds. Both books and dvds have been acceptable to sell so why is an internet video any different?
I'm so glad you made this video. Georgia has some STRONG restrictions on feathers. I thought it was weird to get so bent out of shape over feathers. The Bald and Golden eagles I understood, but threatening imprisonment for keeping a single feather from even a deceased falconry bird seems a bit cruel to me. I had a few ideas in my mind like research and DNA archiving to protect and maybe even resurrect a species. The natives argument seems so obvious now that I know. Thank you for clearing up one of the biggest questions I had about my states laws. The Verreaux's Eagle-Owl (pink eyelids, you can't miss it) is my dream bird to hunt with. Now I need to see if it's on the list.
Just checked the list. I think I'm in the clear. The Martial Eagle is my favorite if owls don't work out or I find I have the capacity for more birds in the future. I don't see the Martial Eagle on the list either. Things aren't looking too bad now. Though I imagine my first bird will probably be a Great Horned or Barn Owl.
The martial Eagle is a kick ass eagle it's right up there with the golden eagle
Wow, so complicated. Txs for pointing out those clarifications.
How interesting!! I did not know anything about this. Well we dont have falconry or any of that culture in my country in Northen Europe...
Ty Ben, very interesting and almost made the mistake of searching out BOP feathers til one day a "light bulb" went off in my head, and said I better ck into this....thus, I wear turkey feathers in my cowboy hats😉 cheers!
I'm a Native American, full blooded. Born right here on this land. Funny how we have such silly laws.
I know :(
My sister saw a raven that got hit by a car and stunned senseless. She carried it around for about half an hour until it recovered enough to fly away. Now I have to wonder if that was illegal and how much trouble she could have gotten into. She was only fourteen. Can you even legally move an injured raptor or bird out of a road?
Depends on the officer. If an officer wanted to, the could bust you for “illegal possession” but most officers would tell a person the contact info for a wildlife rehabber and tell the person to take that bird to the rehabber, but then they have technically instructed the person to break the law, because that is “illegal possession and transportation”
I found a road kill hawk is it ok to keep the feathers also I am part of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe
Ben: Off-topic, but I though that you might find this VERY interesting: Harris's Hawks have superb colour vision!
Science News from research organizations
Color vision makes birds of prey successful hunters
Date:
August 29, 2018
Source:
Lund University
Summary:
In many cases it is the color of the prey that helps predatory birds to detect, pursue and capture them. In a new study, biologists show that the Harris's hawk has the best color vision of all animals investigated to date -- and in certain situations, even better than humans.
Pretty interesting, those Harris's are very well-evolved fore hunting!
That’s awesome!!!!
Ok so I have a red tailed hawk feather without any kind of permit but I found it on the ground when I was a kid. Is that illegal or something?
Technically because it’s a protected species, I had one too, and I find it so stupid that there’s a law against simply having feathers…sure I understand it’s so animals like that aren’t hunted to extinction however kids with mental disorders that causes them to take an interest towards these sorts of things and helps with their mental wellbeing is illegal. I would understand if it’s just illegal to sell or trade them but it’s not. Seeing a feather on the ground and taking it home is a crime but grinding up baby chicks because they are male is legal.
Do you have an ornate hawk eagle
There's a Hawk's nest in this huge tree in a field next to me.. I can't help myself but gather up the feathers. I should just rob a bank if I got to go jail for a feather.
I really understand the logic and ethics behind the law, but in longer run, it's just plain stupid and ridiculous. Most birds naturally moult their feathers. Why should picking a damn feather from a damn ground that a living, well fed and healthy bird, shed like a week ago without being harmed in any way? Like... I know that prooving wether or not the feather was obtained from a dead protected bird, or just a moulted drop is hard, but why should it prevent people from collecting feathers that have allready been shed? I mean, there's zero logic in it....
I know, I think it should be illegal to sell, trade, and purchase these feathers unless you have a license, not for simply having a feather.
@Somerandomperson-qc7nz why it should be illegal to sell ethically obtained, naturally molted feathers? LOL Laws are so backwards. It's not like You kill the bird to get the feathers. It should not only be legalised, but NORMALISED. If ppl will get legal feathers from rare and endangered species that were obtained without hurting the animal, they wouldn't resort to hunting them, therefore their population would go up. Such things should be legal to buy and sell and do everything, because if it will continue to be illegal, it only supports the black market and endangers the environment... Human laws are dumb...
So I was swimming on a beach and and everyone’s like hey there’s a bald eagle and maybe ten mins later there’s a feather floating so I pick it up and I bring to everyone to see and I take it to my grandma and she frames it and side note at the time I was oblivious to the law same with grandma so is this.
Illegal? Yes- it’s dumb especially since it’s reserving it in a humane and natural way. Maybe if America put licenses on owning a GUN then we wouldn’t have as much illegal poaching.
I see your videos and I understand them because of the subtitles, you don't have this one too bad
Give it a awhile! Sometimes RUclips takes a while to upload the subtitles!
Thank you very much friend, how kind, indeed the automatic translation is already available, I am from El Salvador, and I send you a big greeting for you
Insane!! My 8yr old daughter collects feathers she finds on walks on the fens and woods and tries to figure out what bird they came from , and this is illegal!!! Not an issue in uk
This just seems silly to me. I understand wanting to protect a bird, but punishing someone who finds a feather on the ground is asinine, or even someone who keeps the feathers of a bird they are legally permitted to have/care for. Just make the selling of feathers illegal and of course all the killing that you want to avoid, possession should not be restricted.
Indeed, *selling*, or possession for sale, that would make sense, like someone having two eagle feathers from a moulting, vs. someone having a full set of tal feathers, or primaries, kind of like "possession for trafficking'...
It is legal on earth for birds to have feathers yes.i love finding eagle feathers hawk feathers and so on.FUN HOBBY. TOO SILLY, THIS VIDEO
We found mounted eagle feathers on the Prairie, as youngsters, and, of course, kept them, all unknowing that we could be jailed (?) or fined... seems kind of dumb to "protect" something akin to fingernail clippings, no? Seems a rather extreme length to go to. But, hey, it's a law, and we don't always get the best laws.
14 minutes 14 views
4 min - 4 likes
Thank god I don't live in America hahaha 😅 😆